I thought I would take the day off and instead transport you back in time to the heyday of Hollywood Squares from 1966 through 1981 with these “zingers” from the show which at that time were often considered a little off-color.

1. Do female frogs croak? A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads underwater long enough they will.
2. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be? A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
3. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years. A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
4. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman? A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake.
5. According to Cosmo, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he’s married? A. Rose Marie: No. Wait until morning.
6. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older? A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
7. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking? A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget.
8. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet? A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I’m always safe in the bedroom.
9. Can boys join the Campfire Girls? A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
10. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do? A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
11. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to? A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
12. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
13. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do? A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
14. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they? A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
15. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed? A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.

Now back to the regular programming.

Brain Tease. It’s time to move on from last week’s Logic Puzzle to another lateral thinking puzzle and as always you need to think beyond the obvious.

Why are 2017 UK pound coins worth more than 2015 UK pound coins?

The British comedy troupe formed in 1969 who were known for their sketch comedy television series from 1969 – 1974 and the movies Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life” was Monty Python. I received correct answers from Stephen Woolpert, Jess Birge, Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Dave Lutgens, Doug Nelson, Bruce Johnson, Donna Mollet, and Julie Carter, this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket who found that the name Monty Python was chosen because it sounded like a really bad theatrical agent! And last week I missed Ruth Radcliffe.

This American actor was also an art historian, art collector, and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was this actor most associated with the horror films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a tape of Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller”.

Well, it’s been another week, and another step on the stairway of life. Until we meet again, I’ll leave you with this Red Skelton quote, “If I wake up and not surrounded by roses, I’m doing fine”.

“At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all.” Ann Landers

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: 2,017 UK pound coins because there are 2 more of them. (What a difference a comma makes!)

When I was in my twenties, I heard you had to “fake it to make it.” Many of us may have taken that advice – although unconsciously. We became what others expected of us: breadwinners, homemakers, caregivers, and ignoring who we really were.

But now that we are older and no longer need any validation, we don’t have to fake it.

We can be like our cartoon hero, Popeye the sailor man who said “I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam.

We can be our authentic selves. We can be the “I yam.”

But that’s not easy and a little scary – at least for me.

It means asking myself Who am I really? What do I genuinely want to do with the rest of my life? and What will make me happy?

This may not be the first time in your life you have considered these questions.

I knew friends in college who I thought were too self-absorbed; wasting time trying to figure out who they were – or as I would say disparagingly “contemplating their belly button.” I didn’t have time! I was busy navigating the college social landscape, looking for my true love, and oh, yeah, trying to pass my college exams.

But now in later life, there are likely fewer obstacles in the way so you can take the time to look at your life, not the should-ofs or what-ifs from the past, but the possibilities for the future.

I figure I’m at that stage of life where you take me as I am or don’t take me at all – although that approach can be problematic with my wife!

We no longer have to fake it to make it. There are fewer expectations of who we should be. And we are no longer constrained by those expectations so we can grow in our self-awareness, grow in our spirituality, and grow into who we truly are.

Brain Tease. I wasted twenty minutes, no, let me say that again, I invested twenty minutes working my brain while solving this logic puzzle. I usually avoid logic puzzles: they are more complex, and I find them harder to solve – I always need paper and pencil. But for this one time, see if you can solve this logic puzzle.

Alex is a keen dog admirer and over the years has had a number of dogs.

Alex has had an Alsatian, a Dalmatian, a Poodle, and a Great Dane, but not necessarily in that order.

Alex had Jamie first. The Dalmatian was an adored pet before the Great Dane. Sammy, the Alsatian, was the second dog Alex loved. Whitney was housed before the Poodle and Jimmy was not a Great Dane. Can you match the dogs to their names and find the order in which Alex had them?

The commercial name of this gum packaged in a red, white, and blue color scheme, and starting in 1953 included with each piece a small “Bazooka Jo” comic strip was Bazooka bubblegum. I received correct answers from Julie Carter, Ryan Rooper, Lana Tepfer, Rebecca Abrams, Jess Birge, Rhonda Spies, Keith and Marlene Clymer, and Deborah Medina, this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

Last week I missed, but I may have missed more, Mike Nagle, Pat Evenson-Brady, Julie Carter, and Elena Smith. In a round world, it is hard to keep things straight.

This British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin became known for their sketch comedy television series from 1969 – 1974. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this comedy troupe that used animation and an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach in their comedy routines? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with two of their films: Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983).

Well, it’s been another week, looking through my contact list and remembering all of those I’ve forgotten. Until we meet again, remember the words of Niles Bohr, the famous Danish Physicist: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.”

“If your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.” Bill Watterson

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: Alex had Jamie the Dalmatian first, then Sammy the Alsatian, Whitney the Great Dane, and finally Jimmy the Poodle.

Fifteen years ago, I didn’t understand why there was such an emphasis on fall prevention. You fall, you get up, and move on. What’s the big deal? But as I look back, I wonder how I could have been so ignorant. But hey, I was only sixty!

But now I do know the seriousness of falls: broken hips, fractured shoulders, head injuries; and the short and long-term consequences. And working for Circles of Care, I often meet folks who have requested support because of falls and the resulting loss of independence.

So, what can you do to avoid falling? And what can you do if you do fall?

You’ve probably heard these recommendations before, but considering their importance there is no harm in a reminder. (You can find more about fall prevention at the National Institute on Aging’s website https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures.)

1. Find out about the side effects of any medicine you take. If a drug makes you sleepy or dizzy, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
2. Stay physically active.
3. Wear non-skid, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes, or lace-up shoes with non-skid soles that fully support your feet.
4. Have your eyes and hearing tested.
5. Get enough sleep.
6. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
7. Stand up slowly.
8. Use an assistive device if you need help feeling steady when you walk.
9. Be very careful when walking on wet or icy surfaces.
10. Always tell your doctor if you have fallen since your last checkup, even if you weren’t hurt when you fell.

Okay, you’ve followed all the recommendations, but then your dog, your loving companion for years, jumps in front of you; you trip and fall. What do you do?

Breathe. Take several deep breaths to try to relax. Remain still on the floor or ground for a few moments. Then decide if you are hurt. Getting up too quickly or in the wrong way could make an injury worse.

If you think you can get up safely without help, crawl to a sturdy chair. Put your hands on the chair seat and slide one foot forward so that it’s flat on the floor. Keep the other leg bent so the knee is on the floor. From this kneeling position, slowly rise and turn your body to sit in the chair.

Get help. If you are hurt or cannot get up on your own, ask someone for help or call 911. If you are alone, try to get into a comfortable position and wait for help to arrive.

Falls can be life-changing: continual discomfort, possible weeks of rehabilitation, and loss of independence. So be smart; be careful to avoid spending a beautiful summer day in your favorite emergency room.

Brain Tease. We all remember playing our favorite albums on our portable record player, so this one should be easy, right? “Which is greater, the number of grooves on one side of a vinyl record or the number of days in the year?

The Oregon resident who wrote “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and who was “too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a hippie,” was Ken Kesey. I received correct answers from Wendy Schaefer, Donna Mollet, Susan Conklin, Jay Waterbury, Kim Birge, Dave Lutgens, Lana Tepfer, Mary Radcliffe, Steven Woolpert, Sandy Haechrel, Mike McFarlane, Rebecca Abrams, Rhonda Spies, Nancy Higgins, Patty Burnett, and Dennis Morgan who pointed out that the correct spelling for the 1939 school bus which carried the Merry Pranksters was “Furthur”. And last week I missed Carol Earl.

I remember going to the neighborhood drugstore and buying these pieces of bubblegum marketed by the Topps Company and sold for a penny. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the commercial name of this gum packaged in a red, white, and blue color scheme and starting in 1953 included a small comic strip with each piece? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with one of the over 1,535 different comic strips enclosed with the gum.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to fulfill the expectation of being a fountain of wisdom when I don’t really have a clue. Until we meet again, remember, it’s okay.

“I like maxims that don’t encourage behavior modification.” Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: Days in the year as there is only one groove per side of a vinyl record!

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

Or as Winston Churchill put it more directly, “Never, never, never give up.”

Our culture celebrates self-sufficiency and pull-yourself-up-by-your bootstrap stories told to us since childhood. That attitude has served us well, persevering through adversity so we’ll get to where we want to go.

But are there times when you should consider quitting not as giving up but letting go? That was the focus of Judith Graham’s interview with Pulitzer Prize winner Julia Keller, author of her new book, Quitting: A Life Strategy. The Myth of Perseverance – and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free. (https://www.nextavenue.org/dont-think-of-it-as-quitting-think-of-it-as-letting-go/)

Keller points out that quitting requires us to ask ourselves ‘How do I feel about the way things are working out for me?’ If the answer is ‘just OK,’ then the question becomes ‘Is OK really enough?’

What if giving up can make your life better especially when you’re not happy with your current circumstances?

What if letting go is liberating when you’re stuck and unsatisfied making room for other possibilities in your life?

Keller argues quitting is about abundance and not loss; choosing hope over fear; believing that there is a brighter tomorrow. But in our culture quitting is a dirty word. It takes courage – and maybe a little ignorance to quit. And then what if things don’t work out? But as we age, quitting may become more important because we don’t have the time to continue doing what isn’t working.

Keller found in the interviews for her book “people expressed much more regret over things that they didn’t quit but wish they had than the changes they found the courage to make.”

We have worked hard all our lives and persisted through tough situations which we can be proud of. But are there times to stop and decide if this is something you really want to continue doing? Not quitting but letting go so your life will be happier and more fulfilling.

Senior Planet from AARP offers online classes plus articles on a variety of topics: Life and Culture, Tech, and Healthy Aging for example. But Senior Planet also offers a Tech Support Hotline. If you have a specific tech question, you can call the FREE Senior Planet National Tech Hotline: 888-713-3495 anytime between 9:00 am – 8:00 pm EDT (That’s 6:00 – 5:00 for us left coast folks), Monday through Friday. They can help you with whatever tech issues you’re experiencing. And if they can’t they’ll help you find someone who can.

Brain Tease. How about a sequence puzzle? For example, the answer for the clue M T W T ? is Friday (F) because, well, you know the sequence. So, try to find the answers to these two sequence puzzles. 1.) J F M A M J J ?  2.) T T T F F S S ?

The name of the 1968 Broadway theater production described as “The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” was Hair. I received correct answers from Nancy Higgins, Steven Woolpert, Judy Merrill, Rhonda Spies, Rose Schulz, Kay Fortin, Pat Evenson-Brady, Donna Mollet, Lana Tepfer, Bruce Johnson, Joan Chantler, and Dave Lutgens this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

And for the week before those who sent in the answer The Red Balloon were Ron Nelson, Karen Mielke, Lana Tepfer, Dave Lutgens, Carol Earl, Rhonda Spies, and Becky Podvent that week’s winner.

This Oregon author grew up on a working dairy farm in Springfield, Oregon, was a successful wrestler in high school and college, and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1957. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was this author described by one of his instructors as “a sort of highly talented illiterate” and who wrote the critically acclaimed novel set in the Oregon State Hospital? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a picture of “Further” the 1939 International Harvester school bus which carried the “Merry Band of Pranksters”.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to lower the bar to help others over. Until we meet again, don’t let the gravy drown the mashed potatoes.

“I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.” J. D. Salinger

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).

Answer: 1.) (A) August; 2.) (E) Eighty